Clamping buckle



April 6, 1937. F 'E STAHL 2,076,008

.CLAMPING BUCKLE Filed Dec. 2l, 1954 Patented Apr. ti, 1937 UNi'i S'l TES PATENT CFM@ CLAMPING BUCKLE Application December 21, 1934, Serial No. 758,678

3 Claims.

My invention relates in general to buckles, and particularly to that type of buckle used on emergency anti-skid chain devices for automobiles to clamp the strap of such devices in position.

Itis Well known to those skilled in the art that in certain types of buckles used on emergency anti-skid chain devices, there is a tendency for the clamping member of the buckle to become loose, particularly when the wheels equipped with such devices are traveling in ruts or in contact with curbing.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide means for securely locking the strap clamping members of anti-skid emergency chain devices in position.

Another object has been to provide iinger tabs on the clamping member of my buckle, whereby such member may be easily manipulated to its open or closed position.

Moreover, the clamping member of my device is provided with retaining ingers for holding the loose end of the strap in place.

Furthermore, my locking means does not in any way increase the cost of the buckle, and may be provided thereon by a simple stamping operation.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my complete device as applied to an automobile tire and rim.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my buckle showing the clamping member thereof in its open position 'ready to receive the strap.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the buckle showing the clamping member in its strap-engaging position.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the strap in place and the clamping member in its locked position.

In Fig l of the drawing I have shown my device as it is to be used in connection with an anti-skid device and as applied to a tire. It is quite customary to use two cross chains IU, each of which has one of its ends connected to a strap plate II by means of a hook I2 and the other of its ends connected to the body I3 of my buckle by means oi a similar hook I2. A iexible strap I4 is usually employed in this type of device. One end of this strap is suitably fastened to the strap plate |I and the other end is passed through the buckle in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The body of my buckle is provided at its forward side, or the side through which the strap is rst passed, with pivot ears 2|) to which the clamping member 2| of my device is attached. This clamping member is provided with trunnions 22 which fit into openings 23 formed in the pivot ears 20. This member is alsoI provided with a body part 24 having a cam portion 25 arranged at its trunnion end and at an angle to the body. The length of the cam portion and the position oi the openings 23 in the pivot ears is such that when the clamping member is moved to its clamping position shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the strap I4 which lies substantially parallel with the outer surface of the body I3 will be forced down tightly against such outer surface and be securely held in place in frictionalmanner.

The clamping member 2| is provided at its free 15 end with outwardly extending offset finger tabs 26 by which the clamping member may be manipulated to release the strap when desired. These fingers are necessary for the reason that the strap itself cannot be used to open the buckle since it is retained in place by means hereinafter described. Formed also on the clamping member 2| are two'inwardly extending, angular, retaining tabs 21, which are interspaced from the body of the clamping member and under and between which thefree end of the strap I4 is passed after it has been threaded through the buckle and clamped in position, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The side of the body I3 which is opposite the 30 pivot ears and bounded by the edge 33 is provided with outwardly extending wings 30 which are provided with suitable apertures 3| for the reception of the hooks I2 of the cross chains l0.

A locking bar 32 is provided along the edge 33 of the body, and this bar is preferably formed by slitting the material of the body a distance back from the edge 33 equal to the desired Width of the bar and then forcing the metal upwardly from the outer surface of the body and expanding it into the shape shown, thus providing the offset b-ar 32 and the two connecting side members 35, whereby the strap, when being threaded through the buckle, may be passed under the bar before the clamping member 2| is moved to its strap-clamping position. The free edge of the clamping member 2I is so arranged that it will lie adjacent to the bar when '1n its clamping position, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

When it is desired to use my buckle, it is obvious that the strap carried by the emergency anti-skid chain device is passed under the rim of the wheel, as shown in Fig. l, and is then threaded through the buckle by being passed under the cam portion of the clamping member 2l and under the locking bar 32. The strap is then pulled through the buckle to provide the proper adjustment of the chains on the tire, and 5 when the strap is in the proper position, the clamping member is forced down toward the body, thus causing the cam portion to force the strap in frictional Contact with the outer surface of the body and to be slightly indented therein, whereby the strap will be retained in its adjusted position. The free end of the strap is then formed into a loop 34, as shown in the drawing, and it is passed under and between the retaining tabs 21. Since the portion of the strap just preceding the loopy is passed under the locking bar 32, it is obvious that any tendency to raise the loop will not be transferred to the clamping member 2| to cause it to become unclamped, because of the presence of the locking bar.

While I have shown the locking bar as made a part of the body I3 of the buckle, it is obvious that this may, if desired, be a separate member of any suitable cross-section fastened to the body in any suitable manner.

This and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the sco-pe of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. As an article of manufacture, a buckle for clamping a strap in position, comprising a body, means for keeping the strap in substantially parallel relation with the outer surface of the body, comprising a lock bar carried by the body and located at one end thereof, said lock bar being offset in its relation to the outer surface of the body so that the strap may be passed thereunder before it is clamped in position, a clamping member carried by the body and pivoted at the opposite end thereof, the free end of the clamping member being adjacent to the lock bar when the member is in its strap-clamping position, outwardly extending, iiat nger tabs formed at the free end of the clamping member, said tabs having their finger-engaging surfaces oiset from the body part of the clamping member and lying in a plane which is parallel to the plane of such body part, and a cam formed on the pivotal end of the clamping member for clamping engagement with the strap.

2. As an article of manufacture, a buckle for clamping a strap in position, comprising a body, means for keeping the strap in substantially parallel relation with the outer surface of the body, comprising Va lock bar carried by the body and located at one end thereof, said lock bar being offset in its relation to the outer surface of the body so that the strap may be passed thereunder before it is clamped in position, a clamping member carried by the body and pivoted at the opposite end thereof, the free end of the clamping member being adjacent to the lock bar when the member is in its strap-clamping position, retaining tabs carried by the clamping member for engagement with the free end of the strap, and a cam formed on the pivotal end of the clamping member for clamping engagement with the strap.

3. As an article of manufacture, .a buckle for clamping a strap in position, comprising a body, means for keeping the strap in substantially parallel relation with the outer surface of the body,

comprising a lock bar carried by the body and located at one end thereof, said lock bar being oifset in its relation to the outer surface of the body so that the strap may be passed thereunder before it is clamped in position, a clamping member carried by the body and pivoted at the opposite end thereof, the free end of the clamping member being adjacent to the lock bar when the member is in its strap-clamping position, retaining tabs carried by the clamping member for engagement with the free end of the strap, outwardly extending nger tabs formed at the free end of the clamping member, and a cam formed on the pivotal end of the clamping member for clamping engagement with the strap.

FRANK E. STAHL. 

